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Embodied Energy case studies - residential

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Summary
Residential 1
Residential 2 : (detail breakdown of building elements/materials for Residential case study)
Residential 3
Residential 4
Residential 5
Residential 6
Residential 7
Residential 8
Conclusion

Summary (back to top of page)

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The case studies below show the embodied energy in the commercial building looked at they include the embodied energy per element and per major material. The Residential case study 2 has a breakdown of the embodied energy analysis per material in the element. For a definition of each element see the methodology section.

Residential 1 (back to top of page)

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Residential 1 attached, two storey unit, 82 m2

Element Breakdown

Material Breakdown

Residential 2 : (detail breakdown of building elements/materials for Residential case study)
(back to top of page)

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Residential 2, semi-detached, two storey unit, 86 m2

Element Breakdown

 

Material Breakdown for the residential 2 Case Study

 
 

Element (GJ/m2)	Item	Material	Material embodied energy (GJ/m2)
Substructure	edge and int beams	concrete 30MPa	0.26
1.41	slab	concrete 30MPa	0.37
	reinforcement	steel	0.45
	slab/beams	membrane	0.11
	blinding concrete	concrete 15MPa	0.18
		sand	0.01
		screenings	0.03
Upper floors	flooring	MDF/particleboard	0.17
0.72	floor trusses	timber	0.03
		steel	0.06
	beams/fixings	steel	0.40
	waling plates, etc	timber	0.01
	ceiling battens	timber	0.01
	ceiling lining	plasterboard 13mm	0.04
Staircases	staircase	MDF/particleboard	0.04
0.06		timber	0.00
		plasterboard 10mm	0.01
		paint	0.00
		steel	0.02
Roof	190x35 F5 rafters	timber	0.02
0.71	90x45 F5 rafters	timber	0.00
	graded battens	timber	0.01
	bracing	steel	0.01
	fixings	steel	0.00
	0.53mm steel decking	decking	0.18
	0.60 metal tray utters & flashings	steel	0.21
	ply gutter board	MDF/particleboard	0.03
	downpipes	steel	0.02
	insulation	fibreglass batts R2.5	0.09
	sarking	reflective foil	0.08
	skylight	plastic	0.00
		steel	0.01
	ceiling battens	timber	0.01
	ceiling lining	plasterboard 13mm	0.03
External walls	exterior cladding	brick	1.37
2.47	mortar	concrete 15MPa	0.09
	damp proof course	reflective foil	0.01
	framing	timber	0.09
	fixings	steel	0.02
	ties	steel	0.01
	reflective insulation	reflective foil	0.21
	insulation	fibreglass batts R2.5	0.10
	lintels	steel	0.16
		timber	0.00
	posts	steel	0.02
	ext render	concrete 15MPa	0.04
	92 mm skirting	MDF architrave 2mm	0.30
	wall lining	plasterboard 10mm	0.04
Windows	970*1500	timber	0.01
0.33	glazing	clear float glass 4mm	0.00
	flyscreen	aluminium	0.00
	67 mm architrave	MDF architrave 67mm	0.07
	1810*2100	timber	0.01
	glazing	toughened glass 6mm	0.01
	flyscreen	aluminium	0.00
	67 mm architrave	MDF architrave 67mm	0.02
	1100*1100	timber	0.01
	glazing	clear float glass 4mm	0.01
	flyscreen aluminium	MDF architrave 67mm	0.10
	730*2400	timber	0.00
	glazing	clear float glass 4mm	0.00
	flyscreen	aluminium	0.00
	67 mm architrave	MDF architrave 67mm	0.02
	970*900	timber	0.00
	glazing	clear float glass 4mm	0.00
	flyscreen	aluminium	0.00
	67 mm architrave	MDF architrave 67mm	0.01
	window furniture	steel	0.00
		paint	0.01
External doors	solid doors/frames	timber	0.00
0.03	architrave	MDF architrave 67mm	0.02
	door furniture	steel	0.00
	doors and architraves	paint	0.00
Internal walls	brick party wall (share)	brick	0.70
0.86	ties	steel	0.00
	wall lining-party wall	plasterboard 10mm	0.02
	framing	timber	0.00
	fixings	steel	0.00
	wall lining	plasterboard 10mm	0.00
	lintels	timber	0.00
	92 mm skirting	MDF architrave 92mm	0.13
Internal doors	hollow core doors (incl frames)	timber	0.01
0.57	67 mm architrave	MDF architrave 67mm	0.52
	door furniture	steel	0.01
	doors and architraves	paint	0.01
Wall finishes	wet areas	tile, ceramic	0.03
0.06	ext wall pb paint	paint	0.02
	internal wall pb paint	paint	0.01
Floor finishes	floor	tile, ceramic	0.02
0.40		vinyl flooring 2mm	0.07
		carpet	0.31
Ceiling finishes	ground floor ceiling finish	paint	0.01
0.02	first floor ceiling finish	paint	0.01
Fitments	wardrobes	MDF/particleboard	0.05
0.28		laminate	0.04
		steel	0.00
	kitchen cupboards	MDF/particleboard	0.10
		laminate	0.04
		steel	0.00
	bathroom vanity unit	MDF/particleboard	0.03
		laminate	0.01
		steel	0.00
	shower screen	toughened glass 6mm	0.01
		aluminium	0.00
Sanitary fixtures	laundry trough cabinet	steel	0.01
0.38		steel stainless	0.01
	kitchen sink	steel stainless	0.01
	toilet	vitreous china	0.09
		plastic	0.02
		steel	0.01
	handbasin	vitreous china	0.03
	tapware	steel	0.00
	bath	steel	0.06
	rainwater tank	steel	0.07
	rainwater tank support	steel	0.06
	rainwater tank support	timber	0.00
Appliances	stove	household appliances	0.08
0.92	refrigerator	household appliances	0.15
	washing machine	household appliances	0.12
	clothes dryer	household appliances	0.05
	microwave oven	household appliances	0.03
	dishwasher	household appliances	0.11
	space heater	household appliances	0.12
	solar hot water service	household appliances	0.26
Plumbing	waste	UPVC pipe 100	0.02
0.22	hot/cold	copper	0.07
	drainage	UPVC pipe (90 slotted)	0.01
		sand	0.00
	stormwatr	UPVC pipe 100	0.03
		sand	0.01
		screenings	0.03
	gas pipe	copper	0.05
Electrical	wiring	plastic	0.06
0.14		copper	0.03
	switchboard	steel	0.00
		copper	0.00
		plastic	0.00
	light fittings	plastic	0.00
		steel	0.00
		toughened glass 6mm	0.00
		copper	0.00
	power outlets	plastic	0.00
		steel	0.00
		copper	0.00
	exhaust fans	plastic	0.00
		steel	0.00
		copper	0.00
		aluminium	0.00
	base-bollard lights	concrete 20MPa	0.00
	25 ø conduit	UPVC pipe 25	0.00
	20 ø conduit	UPVC pipe 20	0.00
	40 ø conduit	UPVC pipe 40	0.00
Paving	driveway (share/unit)	screenings	0.04
0.28		bitumen	0.14
	edging	brick	0.08
		sand	0.00
	retaining concrete haunch	concrete 15MPa	0.02
Fences	1.8m slatted fence	timber	0.01
0.17		concrete 20MPa	0.04
	1.8m paling fence	timber	0.03
		concrete 20MPa	0.03
	1.8m paling fence (share of communal)	timber	0.03
		concrete 20MPa	0.03
External structures	posts and rafters	timber	0.02
0.04	fixings	steel	0.00
		paint	0.01
	post shoes	steel	0.01
Material Embodied energy			10.0
Direct energy			1.35
Other items			3.63
Total embodied energy			15.06

Residential 3 (back to top of page)

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Residential 3 semi-detached, single storey unit, 100 m2,

Element Breakdown

Material Breakdown

Residential 4 (back to top of page)

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Residential 4, attached, two storey, town-house, 113 m2

 

Element Breakdown

Material Breakdown

Residential 5 (back to top of page)

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Residential 5, semi-detached, two storey town-house, 126 m2

Element Breakdown

 

Material Breakdown

Residential 6 (back to top of page)

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Residential 6, detached, single storey dwelling, 151 m2

 
Element Breakdown

Material Breakdown

Residential 7 (back to top of page)

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Residential 7, detached, single storey dwelling, 155 m2

 
Element Breakdown

Material Breakdown

Residential 8 (back to top of page)

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Residential 8, large, attached, two storey town-house, 156 m2

 
Element Breakdown

Material Breakdown

Conclusion (back to top of page)

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For more information contact Tim Grant at the Centre for Design at RMIT.